Maryland's largest Hot Air Balloon Festival returned to Talbot County. August 3,4,5 2018

A BIG Thank You to everyone in attendance!
And in particular, we recognize all of our volunteers

photo courtesy of Betty Fowler

Balloon Festival results:
Three flights, two balloon glows and three balloons tethering each day
---Friday Afternoon- windy conditions caused the Afternoon flight to be canceled. A very impressive Balloon Glow did generate much excitement among the spectators
---Saturday morning- scheduled mass ascension was a rain out
---Saturday afternoon/evening- tethers, mass ascension and balloon glow were well received by a very large number of spectators
---Sunday morning- mass balloon ascension saw a two hour delay waiting for the fog to lift. Ten balloons were able to fly above a very impressive 5K Run/Walk
---Sunday evening- mass ascension was beautiful. The landowners loved our balloons flying over their homes. Six balloons landed on the same property to the thrill of the homeowner!
more info to come...

"Carnival" returned.
It is not just another pretty face. Three faces grace this unique special shape balloon. It was born in Brazil and stands 85 feet tall.

What does a winery have in common with hot air balloons?

>> TETHERED BALLOON RIDES: A hot air balloon, tethered to the ground, will offer rides ($20 adults and $10 children under 12) up to 60 feet in the air. No advanced booking is required.

>> WALK-ABOUT BALLOON: A large balloon will be partially inflated on the ground. Children and adults will be able to venture into the center of this colorful balloon ($3 children and adults). Pay on site.

A Message from the Balloonmeister

What does “WEATHER PERMITTING” mean?
FOR SAFE FLIGHT:
1. Winds on the surface should be less than seven mph
2. Winds at 3000 feet should be forecasted to be less than 20 mph
3. Rain should not be in the forecast for the period of scheduled flight
4. A hot air balloon should not be within 75 miles of a thunderstorm
5. Balloons launch only at sunrise or 1-3 hours before sunset
The most desirable flying conditions are good visibility, light winds and no precipitation
Final decision as to fly or not to fly is made 45 minutes before scheduled flight during the pilot briefing

>> BALLOON GLOW -- So what is a balloon glow?
The hot air balloon festival event now known as a balloon glow was invented in Albuquerque in 1979, when local pilots inflated balloons on Christmas Eve night as a thank you to local residents. The sight of balloons lit from within at night like giant holiday ornaments is breathtaking, and glow events are now held all over the world.

> Balloon Training Demonstration Camp: Kids ages from 12- 18 and all ages participated in a hands on demonstration of "HOW BALLOONS WORK". Scheduled from 2-3:30PM Friday, Saturday & Sunday. Lead pilot/instructor is Matt Hodgdon from Mt Airy MD. This is a Free Demonstration.